In diabetic men with erection problems, the severity of their sexual performance problem increases as control of blood sugar levels worsens, according to the results of a new study.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study of the effect of diabetes mellitus control on erectile function, describing the severity of erectile dysfunction in categorical groups, based on a validated questionnaire," Dr. Ernani L. Rhoden and colleagues, from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, note.

The findings, which appear in the medical journal BJU International, are based on a study of 115 diabetic men who visited a urology center for erection problems between 2000 and 2001. A blood test that measures glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was used to assess long-term control of blood sugar levels. Erectile function was evaluated using a standard questionnaire.

The rates of mild, moderate or severe erectile dysfunction among men with relatively good HbA1c results were 50, 18, and 32 percent, respectively. In contrast, among men with poor HbA1c results, a shift toward more severe dysfunction was seen, with 25, 29, and 46 having mild, moderate or severe dysfunction, respectively.

Further analysis showed that the association between poor sugar control and the severity of erectile dysfunction was confined to men who had diabetes for longer than five years.

"Future studies are needed to explain the nature of this relationship, and to assess whether lowering HbA1c serum levels by adequately treating diabetes mellitus might improve erectile function," the researchers state.

SOURCE: BJU International, March 2005.